Historian Graham Wilson researched the now closed local country schools in the former Severn Shire and generously gave us the results of his labours, as well as comprehensive notes on the numerous resources he used.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Beaufort School history covers five pages and is also a valuable reference for the history of the district.
"… Farmers Duncan Cameron, Joseph Weir and Maxwell Hutton forwarded an application dated 11 September 1882 on behalf of 38 children for the establishment of a public school at Beaufort…
"Parents to sign the application were Duncan Cameron (Protestant) Michael Cloffy (Roman Catholic), James Slade (Wesleyan), Joseph Weir (Church of England), John Chandler (Church of England), Mrs McRae (Presbyterian), Maxwell Hutton (Protestant), John Dayel (Roman Catholic), Philip Garrigan (Roman Catholic), Francis N McGuigan (Roman Catholic), John Ward (Nonconformist), James Noble (Presbyterian), William Ross (Presbyterian), Francis Doyle (Roman Catholic) and Malcom Cameron (Presbyterian).
"On 13 September 1882 the Campbell Brothers wrote to Inspector Bradley at Armidale and offered the use of a vacant building on their Beaufort Property and also added:
Farmers Duncan Cameron, Joseph Weir and Maxwell Hutton forwarded an application dated 11 September 1882 on behalf of 38 children for the establishment of a public school at Beaufort
"If you require any of the adjoining land we shall thank you to inform us to what areas would be necessary.
"Inspector J F Bradley reported on 3 October 1882 that the locality was some seven miles west of Glen Innes intermediate between that town and Waterloo (Clearbank) on the main road to Inverell.
"The nearest public schools were Clarevaulx, Waterloo, and Glen Innes ; each six miles distant
There were about 120 people in the school district…
He stated: "the residents appear to be bona fide selectors, fairly circumstanced and likely to become permanent settlers".
"He recommended that a public school be established at Beaufort to be conducted temporarily in the building offered by the Campbell family.
"The school began when William Johnson was appointed on 12 February 1883 from Singleton…"
The school operated over the years as a Provisional School, a Public School and a Subsidised school and closed in 1943.
Misses E N Waker, Stent, Victoria Walker, Leech and Flanagan were some of the ladies who taught there, and perhaps it is one of them that is pictured here.
More from Eve Chappell